Late but Alive, Tour de France Races into COVID Epidemic

Alexander Kristoff celebrates on the podium after winning the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race with start and finish in Nice, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (AP)
Alexander Kristoff celebrates on the podium after winning the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race with start and finish in Nice, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (AP)
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Late but Alive, Tour de France Races into COVID Epidemic

Alexander Kristoff celebrates on the podium after winning the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race with start and finish in Nice, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (AP)
Alexander Kristoff celebrates on the podium after winning the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race with start and finish in Nice, southern France, Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020. (AP)

Delayed but alive again and out on French roads, the strangest Tour de France ever set off Saturday in a bubble of anti-COVID protocols to try to keep the 176 riders virus-free for three weeks of racing through the country's worsening epidemic.

Only after riders peeled off their face masks and raced off from the start in the Mediterranean city of Nice, serenaded by a uniformed band playing “La Marseillaise,” did the Tour begin to look like its old, pre-COVID self, immediately delivering thrills and spills as storms made the roads as slippy as ice.

But with fans kept firmly at arm's length, told by the government that it was best to stay home and watch the racing on television, the Tour lost much of its festive atmosphere.

There was very little of the usual up-close communing between athletes and their adoring public that made the venerable 117-year-old rolling roadshow so unique among sports events in more carefree times.

Powering past thin crowds on the finishing straight in Nice that would usually have been many rows deep, Norwegian rider Alexander Kristoff won the first stage with a fearsome final sprint.

He celebrated by giving a COVID-sensible fist-bump to a teammate.



Zverev Serves his Way to Italian Open Title

Germany's Alexander Zverev holds the trophy after winning the Men's final against Chile's Nicolas Jarry at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev holds the trophy after winning the Men's final against Chile's Nicolas Jarry at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
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Zverev Serves his Way to Italian Open Title

Germany's Alexander Zverev holds the trophy after winning the Men's final against Chile's Nicolas Jarry at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)
Germany's Alexander Zverev holds the trophy after winning the Men's final against Chile's Nicolas Jarry at the ATP Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 19, 2024. (Photo by Tiziana FABI / AFP)

Alexander Zverev put on a serving clinic in a 6-4, 7-5 win over 24th-ranked Nicolas Jarry to claim his second Italian Open title Sunday and earn his biggest trophy since tearing his ankle apart two years ago.
Zverev opened the match with three straight aces on the red clay court and won 20 of his 21 service points in the first set. The German didn't drop a point on his first serve until late in the second set when the 6-foot-7 (2.01 meter) Jarry ran down a well-placed drop shot and replied with a cross-court winner.
It’s been a long road of recovery for the fifth-ranked Zverev after tearing three ligaments in his right ankle during the 2022 French Open semifinals against Rafael Nadal, The Associated Press reported.
This year’s French Open starts next Sunday and now Zverev has established himself among the favorites again — especially with top-ranked Novak Djokovic and 14-time Roland Garros champion Nadal both struggling lately. Djokovic and Nadal were eliminated in the second and third rounds, respectively, in Rome.
There are also injury concerns for second-ranked Jannik Sinner (hip) and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz (right forearm) — who both withdrew from Rome.
Although Zverev, who has disputed a penalty order from a German court over allegations that he caused bodily harm to a woman, faces a trial starting during Roland Garros. He said recently that he won’t attend the start of the legal proceedings.
And Zverev isn’t 100% healthy either. He had the pinky on his left hand bandaged due to a fall in his quarterfinal win over Taylor Fritz, after which he said he “tore a capsule” and that his finger was “crooked.” The German plays right-handed but uses a two-handed backhand.
Zverev will also be defending his gold medal when the Paris Olympics tennis tournament is held at Roland Garros starting in late July.
Jarry, a Chilean playing in his first Masters Series final, upset Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals.
Jarry was cheered on by his grandfather, Jaime Fillol, who was a top-20 player and who gave Jarry his first racket as a kid. Fillol was on Chile’s Davis Cup team that lost the 1976 final to Italy.
It was Zverev’s third final in Rome. He won in 2017 by beating Djokovic in straight sets for his first Masters Series title then lost to Nadal in the title match a year later.
It was also Zverev’s first Masters final since getting beat by Alcaraz at the 2022 Madrid Open. The only previous titles he won since his ankle injury came in Hamburg, Germany, and Chengdu, China, last year.
Zverev earned a winner’s check of 963,225 euros (more than $1 million).
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek beat No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final on Saturday.
In the women’s doubles final, Coco Gauff double faulted on match point to hand Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini of Italy the title with a 6-3, 4-6, (10-8) victory. Gauff teamed with Erin Routliffe.
Marcel Granollers and Horacio Zeballos beat Marcelo Arevalo and Mate Pavic 6-2, 6-2 for the men’s doubles title.


Verstappen Holds Off Norris to Win Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and Extend F1 Lead

Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 19, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 19, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
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Verstappen Holds Off Norris to Win Emilia Romagna Grand Prix and Extend F1 Lead

Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 19, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix REUTERS/Massimo Pinca
Formula One F1 - Emilia Romagna Grand Prix - Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy - May 19, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen celebrates after winning the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix REUTERS/Massimo Pinca

In the real world or the virtual world, Max Verstappen remains the driver to beat.
The defending Formula 1 champion held off a challenge from McLaren’s Lando Norris to win the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Sunday and extend his standings lead, The Associated Press reported.
Verstappen doubled up this weekend by taking part in an online 24-hour race, driving stints for his team from a simulator set up in the Imola paddock. He won that, too, making his F1 victory his second of the day.
Verstappen started on pole position and stayed ahead of Norris at the start but was put under pressure by the McLaren driver again near the end. He held on to take his 59th career win by less than a second.
“Especially the last 10, 15 laps, I had no grip any more. I was really sliding a lot. I saw Lando closing in,” Verstappen said. “It’s very difficult when the tires are not working anymore and you have to go flat out, so I couldn’t afford to make too many mistakes. Luckily, we didn’t and super happy, of course, to win here today.”
On a weekend when F1 remembered Ayrton Senna, the three-time champion who died in a crash at Imola 30 years ago, Verstappen took his fifth win in seven Grand Prix races this year after having lost out to Norris in Miami two weeks ago.
Norris' second place Sunday underlined McLaren's credentials to be the closest challenger to Verstappen and Red Bull this season. “It hurts me to say it, but one or two more laps, I think I would have had him,” Norris said. “It would have been beautiful, but just not today.”
After waiting until his sixth F1 season for his first win, Norris found himself disappointed not to get back-to-back victories. “It’s still a surprise to say it’s frustrating not to win,” Norris said.
Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari, the Italian team's first podium finish at Imola since 2006, ahead of his home race in Monaco next week.
It's never easy to overtake on the narrow Imola track, and risk-taking was further discouraged this year when asphalt run-off areas on key corners were replaced with gravel traps.
Leclerc closed in on Norris mid-way through the race but made a mistake and ran across the grass, losing time.
Oscar Piastri had qualified second for McLaren but was dropped to fifth because of a penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen in a Haas. He got ahead of Sainz at the pit stops and finished fourth, ahead of the Spanish driver.
Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton and his teammate George Russell were sixth and seventh after a difficult weekend for Mercedes.
Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez started 11th after a mistake in qualifying and finished eighth. His main impact on the race was when he briefly held up Norris and Leclerc after their pit stops, indirectly helping Verstappen.
Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for RB and Lance Stroll took the last point in 10th for Aston Martin.
With the victory, Verstappen opened up a 48-point standings lead over Leclerc, who moved above Perez into second. McLaren was off the pace at the start of the season but has improved rapidly since and Norris is fourth, 60 points behind Verstappen.


Motorsport Company Reveals Details of 6th Edition of Saudi Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally’s fifth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from January 5 to 19, 2024. (Dakar Rally)
The Dakar Rally’s fifth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from January 5 to 19, 2024. (Dakar Rally)
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Motorsport Company Reveals Details of 6th Edition of Saudi Dakar Rally

The Dakar Rally’s fifth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from January 5 to 19, 2024. (Dakar Rally)
The Dakar Rally’s fifth edition in Saudi Arabia will be held from January 5 to 19, 2024. (Dakar Rally)

Saudi Motorsport Company, operating under the umbrella of the Saudi Automobile and Motorcycle Federation, has announced the details of the sixth edition of the Dakar Rally, held in Saudi Arabia since 2020, which is one of the biggest races in the world of motorsports, SPA reported.
Participants in the sixth edition of Dakar Rally Saudi Arabia will start on January 3, 2025, from Bisha, in the south of the Kingdom, and head north along the Red Sea before turning east towards Shaybah, in the Empty Quarter.

Participants will cross the finish line on January 17, after having covered diverse desert landscapes over a distance of 950 kilometers.
The rally will feature five stages on separate tracks to reduce the number of times cars overtake motorcycles. The event will include the prologue, the marathon stage, the mass start stage, and other exciting stages.

Hundreds of participants are expected to compete in various categories, exploring some of the most breathtaking natural scenery and historical areas in the Kingdom.


Juventus Appoints Montero as Interim Coach for Final 2 Matches after Allegri Fired

Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri, left, shouts during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Udinese, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 (AP)
Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri, left, shouts during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Udinese, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 (AP)
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Juventus Appoints Montero as Interim Coach for Final 2 Matches after Allegri Fired

Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri, left, shouts during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Udinese, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 (AP)
Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri, left, shouts during a Serie A soccer match between Juventus and Udinese, in Turin, Italy, Monday, Feb. 12, 2024 (AP)

Juventus Under-19 coach Paolo Montero will take charge of the senior team for the final two matches of the season after Massimiliano Allegri was fired last week.

The 52-year-old Montero, who played for the Bianconeri, has never coached a Serie A team but Juventus announced on Sunday that he would make the step up for the final two league matches.

Montero will take charge of his first training session on Sunday before the team plays at Bologna the following day. Juventus ends the season at home to Monza next weekend, The AP reported.

Allegri was fired on Friday for his ugly outburst toward the referees in last week’s Italian Cup final. The coach was also reportedly aggressive toward journalists after the match and Juventus said his behavior was not in line with its “values.”

Juventus is fourth in Serie A and has already qualified for next season’s Champions League but before Wednesday’s Italian Cup victory it hadn’t won any of its previous six matches and there was speculation that Allegri’s contract –which was set to expire at the end of next season – would be ended a year early.

Montero, a former defender, played nearly 300 matches for Juventus between 1996 and 2005 and has coached the Under-19 team for the past two years.

The Uruguayan also coached several teams in Argentina.

 

 

 


History-chasing Man City Eye Premier League Title 'Destiny'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
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History-chasing Man City Eye Premier League Title 'Destiny'

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola - AFP

Pep Guardiola urged Manchester City to seize their chance to make English football history on Sunday as the battle for Premier League supremacy reaches a thrilling climax, with Arsenal hoping for a final-day miracle.

Guardiola's all-conquering team go into the final day of the season with a two-point lead over the second-placed Gunners thanks to an eight-game winning streak.

City host West Ham knowing a win will seal an unprecedented fourth successive English title.

Arsenal have been near flawless themselves in 2024, with 15 wins and one draw, away to City, in 17 league matches.

However, the Gunners' costly 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa last month looks set to be decisive in a thrilling title race that also involved Liverpool until their recent stumbles.

Arsenal, who finished second last year, must beat Everton at the Emirates Stadium and hope City fail to win if they are to end their 20-year wait for the title, AFP reported.

Guardiola does not expect a favour from Everton, who have nothing to play for, and will instead focus on ensuring his players finish the job themselves.

"The destiny is in our hands, but if you are thinking that Everton are going to do something, forget about it. I have seen Arsenal all season," he said.

"We just focus on what we have to do against West Ham. There is not any contamination in my brain about anything other than what we have to do to beat West Ham."

Not for the first time, City have been at their relentless best in the intense heat of the run-in.

Guardiola's men have dropped just six points since mid-December, in draws against Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

As City close in on a sixth title in seven seasons under Guardiola, the competitiveness of the world's most-watched league has been questioned.

But the Catalan coach has hit back at suggestions the Premier League has become boring and that City's dominance is thanks purely to the financial muscle of their Abu Dhabi-based owners.

"It's not boring. It's difficult," Guardiola said.

Arsenal have set a club record by winning 27 Premier League games this season, but that still might not be enough to dethrone City.

"We have to give ourselves the opportunity to live a beautiful day on Sunday, where the dream is still alive and is possible," said Gunners boss Mikel Arteta, whose team have a marginally better goal difference.

"It's football and once we are there we just have to live the moment."

There will be an emotional farewell for Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp at the end of his memorable nine-year reign, but the Reds will finish third regardless of their result against Wolves at Anfield.

"I spoke before about how hard it will be to say goodbye," Klopp said.

"I love absolutely everything about this place. I do. I take memories with me, fantastic memories, I take relationships with me forever."

Manchester United are at risk of missing out on European football altogether after a miserable season.

Erik ten Hag's men sit eighth and must better Newcastle's result at Brentford when they visit Brighton to avoid finishing outside the top seven for the first time since 1990.

Roberto De Zerbi is taking charge of his final game as Brighton boss after the Italian and the club "mutually agreed" they would part ways.

Tottenham visit relegated Sheffield United knowing a point is enough to guarantee fifth spot, while in-form Chelsea would secure a top-six finish with a draw against Bournemouth at Stamford Bridge.

The top six teams will all definitely qualify for Europe, while seventh could be enough as long as Manchester United do not shock City in next week's FA Cup final.

At the bottom, Luton are almost certain to join Burnley and Sheffield United in next year's Championship, needing a mathematical miracle to survive.


Messi Held Scoreless but Inter Miami Extends Unbeaten String with 1-0 Win Over DC United

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP
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Messi Held Scoreless but Inter Miami Extends Unbeaten String with 1-0 Win Over DC United

Lionel Messi - File/AFP
Lionel Messi - File/AFP

Lionel Messi was kept off the scoresheet for the second consecutive match but Inter Miami extended its unbeaten string with a 1-0 win over DC United on Saturday night.

Leo Campana scored four minutes into second half stoppage time as Miami, 6-0-3 since a 4-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls on March 23, avoided a second consecutive scoreless draw. Campana, who entered the match a minute earlier, received a pass from Sergio Busquets on the right wing and converted on a shot that landed inside the left post.

The win improved Eastern Conference-leading Miami to 9-2-4 with 31 points. DC United dropped to 4-5-5 and 17 points.

Miami has now won six and tied three since a 4-0 loss at New York Red Bulls on March 23, The AP reported.

Messi returned to the lineup after missing Wednesday’s match at Orlando because of knee soreness.

The Argentine star forward had at least one goal and assist in five consecutive matches until a 3-2 win at Montreal May 11. Messi began Saturday with a league-leading 12 assists.

Tightly-marked for most of the match, Messi found a slight opening in the 71st minute but his shot from 22 yards sailed high above the crossbar.

Miami goalkeeper Drake Callender preserved the shutout when he stopped a shot from United’s Jacob Murrell in the 86th minute.

The start of the match was delayed 25 minutes after thunderstorms hit Chase Stadium before the clubs’ pregame drills. The rain intensified again shortly after kickoff then subsided in the 30th minute.

Messi had two free kicks blocked by a wall of United defenders in the 21st and 39th minutes.

Both clubs continue their league schedule next Saturday, when Inter Miami visits Vancouver and DC United hosts Chicago.


Mbappé Left Out of PSG Squad for Final League Game of the Season

(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappé holds the trophy as he celebrates after victory in the French League Cup final football match between Monaco (ASM) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at The Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on March 31, 2018. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappé holds the trophy as he celebrates after victory in the French League Cup final football match between Monaco (ASM) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at The Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on March 31, 2018. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
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Mbappé Left Out of PSG Squad for Final League Game of the Season

(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappé holds the trophy as he celebrates after victory in the French League Cup final football match between Monaco (ASM) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at The Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on March 31, 2018. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
(FILES) Paris Saint-Germain's French forward Kylian Mbappé holds the trophy as he celebrates after victory in the French League Cup final football match between Monaco (ASM) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at The Matmut Atlantique Stadium in Bordeaux, southwestern France on March 31, 2018. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Kylian Mbappé has been left out of the squad traveling to Metz on Sunday for the final league game of the season.
PSG has already been crowned champion for a record-extending 12th time.
The star striker, who is leaving PSG after seven seasons at the French league club, has not been included in a group of 20 players selected by coach Luis Enrique, The Associated Press reported.
Asked to comment, PSG did not give a reason to justify Mbappé's absence.
The forward, who is widely expected to join Real Madrid, is not in the list of PSG players who are not available because of an injury.
Mbappé is the club's all-time top goalscorer with 256 goals, including 191 in the league.
He will have a final occasion to play with PSG in the French Cup final on May 25 against Lyon.
Mbappé won six league titles with PSG. He will finish as the league top scorer for the sixth time, and fifth outright after sharing the 2020 award with Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder.
Mbappé confirmed last week he will leave at the end of the season, having already told PSG in February.
Ousmane Dembélé, Vitinha, Marquinhos, Fabian Ruiz and Gianluigi Donnarumma will also sit out the trip to Metz.


Klopp Declares Himself ‘Super Happy’ with His Liverpool Legacy

Liverpool's German manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after his team victory at the end of the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 20, 2023. (AFP)
Liverpool's German manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after his team victory at the end of the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 20, 2023. (AFP)
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Klopp Declares Himself ‘Super Happy’ with His Liverpool Legacy

Liverpool's German manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after his team victory at the end of the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 20, 2023. (AFP)
Liverpool's German manager Juergen Klopp celebrates after his team victory at the end of the English League Cup quarter-final football match between Liverpool and West Ham United at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on December 20, 2023. (AFP)

Outgoing manager Juergen Klopp's nine-year spell at Liverpool may have included some big near-misses, but the German manager said he has no regrets for the ones that got away.

Under Klopp, Liverpool lost the Premier League by a single point in 2018-19 - but they roared back to win it the following season.

They also lost the Champions League final in 2017-18 only to clinch that title the next year.

The initial setbacks did nothing to weaken his resolve, Klopp told "The Times."

"If my career didn’t teach me how to deal with setbacks, then there is no career for that," Klopp told the paper ahead of his last game as Liverpool manager on Sunday, at home against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"Millimeters, inches decided things for us. I know for people it makes a massive difference if I won more. If I win three, I am definitely a successful manager. If I win one in nine years, people can argue it. But I couldn't care less.

"From time to time you get it and from time to time they get it. I'm at peace with it."

Klopp said he felt responsible for the process of change Liverpool would have to go through following his departure but added that he knew this was unavoidable.

"There's a lot of uncertainty for the people, and I didn't want that for them. But I knew if I did it in another year or another two years, it would be exactly the same for these people," he said.

"That cannot be the reason for not doing it. I had to overcome that. I had to think of myself first, which doesn't happen a lot, actually."

During his tenure Liverpool also won a Club World Cup title, an FA Cup and two League Cups, and the 56-year-old said that overall he was happy with the memories he has made at Liverpool.

"Could it have been more successful? Yes. With me? I don't know. We did absolutely everything. I am very self-critical but I do not reflect on this in a critical way. I am super happy with my time here... I look back with a smile," he said.


Bayer Leverkusen Completes Unprecedented Unbeaten Bundesliga Season, Cologne Relegated

Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Augsburg in Leverkusen, western Germany on May 18, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Augsburg in Leverkusen, western Germany on May 18, 2024. (AFP)
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Bayer Leverkusen Completes Unprecedented Unbeaten Bundesliga Season, Cologne Relegated

Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Augsburg in Leverkusen, western Germany on May 18, 2024. (AFP)
Bayer Leverkusen's Spanish head coach Xabi Alonso celebrates with the Bundesliga trophy after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Augsburg in Leverkusen, western Germany on May 18, 2024. (AFP)

League champion Bayer Leverkusen became the first team to complete a Bundesliga season undefeated on Saturday.

Early goals from Victor Boniface and Robert Andrich gave Leverkusen a 2-1 win over Augsburg in their last game of the season.

The win was their 28th in 34 Bundesliga games.

Leverkusen, which won the title in April to end Bayern Munich’s 11-year run, is the first team to complete an unbeaten season in any of Europe’s top five leagues since Juventus in the Italian Serie A in 2011-12.

Leverkusen hasn’t lost a game in any competition all season, a 51-game unbeaten run.

It had a firm grip on Augsburg but Mert Kömür pulled one back in the 62nd minute, prompting Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso to send on Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka, the star players he’d been trying to rest before the Europa League and German Cup finals next week.

Local rival Cologne was relegated. Cologne's hopes of avoiding the drop evaporated in a 4-1 loss at Heidenheim.

Janik Haberer scored in stoppage time for Union Berlin to clinch survival with a 2-1 win over Freiburg. Union’s win meant Bochum dropped into the relegation playoff place after losing at Werder Bremen 4-1.

Stuttgart finished second at Bayern Munich’s expense with a 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Bayern slumped to a 4-2 loss at Hoffenheim in Thomas Tuchel’s last game as coach.

Mainz ensured its survival with a 3-1 win at Wolfsburg.


Zverev to Face Jarry in the Italian Open Final after a Comeback Win over Tabilo

Alexander Zverev of Germany looks on during his men's singles semi final match against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile (not pictured) at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 17 May 2024. (EPA)
Alexander Zverev of Germany looks on during his men's singles semi final match against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile (not pictured) at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 17 May 2024. (EPA)
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Zverev to Face Jarry in the Italian Open Final after a Comeback Win over Tabilo

Alexander Zverev of Germany looks on during his men's singles semi final match against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile (not pictured) at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 17 May 2024. (EPA)
Alexander Zverev of Germany looks on during his men's singles semi final match against Alejandro Tabilo of Chile (not pictured) at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome, Italy, 17 May 2024. (EPA)

For about an hour, Alexander Zverev had no answer to the rocket-like forehands and perfectly placed drop shots that Alejandro Tabilo kept producing on Rome’s red clay.

The fifth-ranked Zverev kept patient, though, and took his chance when it came as he rallied to beat his unheralded Chilean opponent 1-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 on Friday for a spot in the Italian Open final.

“I was just hanging on the second set. I brought my energy up,” Zverev said. “He hit me off the court in the first set and I didn’t play well at all, but he was a big reason why. He gave me no rhythm.”

In Sunday’s final, Zverev will face another Chilean, Nicolas Jarry, who beat Tommy Paul 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 on the American’s 27th birthday.

The 24th-ranked Jarry came back from a set down to eliminate Stefanos Tsitsipas in the quarterfinals and will be playing his first Masters Series final.

It was an appealing contrast in styles between the big-serving 6-foot-7 (2.01 meter) Jarry, who goes for a lot of his shots, and the more defensive-minded Paul, who grinds it out and likes to make his opponents play longer points.

Jarry required five match points to finish off Paul and ended up with 33 winners to his Paul’s 20, but also many more unforced errors — 49 to 15 — in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

“I go for it. And, if everything goes in, amazing,” Jarry said. “But it’s difficult to maintain.”

Zverev, the 2017 Rome champion, had the pinkie on his left hand bandaged following a fall in his previous match, after which he said his finger was “crooked.” The German plays right-handed but uses a two-handed backhand.

He said his pinkie was swollen and he was using painkillers.

“I tore a capsule. ... But I didn’t break any bones,” Zverev said. “The finger is still very, very big. It was manageable.”

It’s Zverev’s third final in Rome. He won in 2017 by beating Novak Djokovic in straight sets for his first Masters Series title. He lost to Rafael Nadal in the title match a year later.

“I’ve been here before,” Zverev said. “I know what it takes and hopefully I can use that.”

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek will play No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka in the women’s final on Saturday.

Rome is the last big wamup before the French Open starts on May 26.

Zverev, who has disputed a penalty order from a German court over allegations that he caused bodily harm to a woman, faces a trial starting during Roland Garros. He said recently that he won’t attend the start of the trial.

Zverev leads 4-2 in his career meetings with Jarry but the series is tied 2-2 on clay.

“Nicolas is one of the most aggressive players we have on the tour,” Zverev said. “Obviously huge serve, huge forehand. Tries to hit big from both sides of the court.”

The 32nd-ranked Tabilo eliminated top-ranked Djokovic in the third round on Sunday and hadn’t dropped a set in the tournament until errors helped Zverev win the second-set tiebreaker. Zverev then took control early in the third.

Tabilo, who is a lefty, saved a break point midway through the first set with a slicing serve out wide to the ad court then produced three drop shots to serve out the set.

Zverev and Tabilo were born in the same year and played often as juniors, when Tabilo represented Canada, where he was born.